Decline of empires

Abstract

The theme of imperial decline is one that has exerted appeal across time and cultures to intellectuals and broader audiences alike. A number of reasons explain its perennial popularity, ranging from the ostensibly self‐evident importance of the decay of large polities to wonder and schadenfreude at the spectacle of the fall of the high and mighty. In part because of its hoary and nearly universal appeal, the study of the decline of empires is hobbled by several conceptual and methodological problems. Defining and identifying decline is neither simple nor straightforward. One difficulty is confusion over what is meant by empire. Another lies in the definition and measurement of power, which requires making comparisons across both time and space. The application of rigorous methods, however, cannot itself guarantee a clear‐cut or definitive account of imperial decline. Perceptions of decline ultimately depend as much on the observer as on the observed.